Chennai: The National Green Tribunal on Wednesday set aside the environmental clearance granted to the proposed Aranmula International Airport near Kerala’s renowned Sabarimala Temple, halting the controversial `2,000-crore project.
The verdict is seen as a major victory for local residents and activists who strongly oppose the proposed airport as it involves large-scale illegal conversion of 211 acres of paddy fields and alleged ecological impact in the region.
Pronouncing its verdict on a batch of petitions filed against the project, the southern bench of the tribunal consisting of Justice M Chokalingam and expert member R Nagendran observed that there were procedural lapses in the grant of environmental clearance for the airport by the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests. The tribunal said that Enviro Care India Private Ltd, the private agency that conducted the environment impact assessment for the project, was incompetent to conduct the study. There were also violations in the public hearing condcted with the local residents over the project.
For the above reasons the tribunal restrained KGS International Airport Limited, a Chennai-based company that is executing the project, from carrying out any activity, constructional or otherwise, with respect of the proposed airport on the strength of the environmental clearance granted by the Union ministry.
The tribunal had already issued an interim stay on the greenfield airport in January.
29/05/14 J Santhosh/New Indian Express
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The verdict is seen as a major victory for local residents and activists who strongly oppose the proposed airport as it involves large-scale illegal conversion of 211 acres of paddy fields and alleged ecological impact in the region.
Pronouncing its verdict on a batch of petitions filed against the project, the southern bench of the tribunal consisting of Justice M Chokalingam and expert member R Nagendran observed that there were procedural lapses in the grant of environmental clearance for the airport by the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests. The tribunal said that Enviro Care India Private Ltd, the private agency that conducted the environment impact assessment for the project, was incompetent to conduct the study. There were also violations in the public hearing condcted with the local residents over the project.
For the above reasons the tribunal restrained KGS International Airport Limited, a Chennai-based company that is executing the project, from carrying out any activity, constructional or otherwise, with respect of the proposed airport on the strength of the environmental clearance granted by the Union ministry.
The tribunal had already issued an interim stay on the greenfield airport in January.
29/05/14 J Santhosh/New Indian Express
